Each year a new title is selected as the Common Reading for that academic year. Students are expected to read the book during the summer prior to arrival in September and be ready to actively take part in classroom discussions. Many first-year courses from different disciplines will be incorporating the book into their curricula. Students should read the book with critical eyes, thinking about many of the themes that are present. Students should also consider how it relates to the life of an 18-year old student who is beginning life as a college student. Events will take place throughout the first semester related to the book.

The selection for the 2017-2018 year is "A Hope in the Unseen" by Ron Suskind.